Greece on Saturday inaugurated two more migrant holding centres on the islands of Kos and Leros as part of a tougher policy for managing migrant flows from Turkey.
The “closed” camps feature barbed wire fencing, surveillance cameras, x-ray scanners and magnetic doors and gates that remain closed at night.
They also have many amenities, like running water and toilets, that were absent from the previous facilities that became infamous for their living conditions.
Both camps can accommodate over 2,000 migrants each.
“The new modern and multipurpose reception and identification centers that we inaugurated today on Leros and Kos are another tangible proof of the undivided European solidarity with Greece,” European Commission Vice President, Margaritis Schinas, said during the inauguration ceremony on Saturday.
For his part, Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis said that a page has been turned.
Σήμερα στην Λέρο και την Κω,όπως πριν λίγες ημέρες στη Σάμο & σε λίγους μήνες στη Χίο & τη Λέσβο,εγκαινιάζουμε τις νέες κλειστές ελεγχόμενες δομές, με το βλέμμα στραμμένο στο μέλλον.Εικόνες σαν και αυτές που έζησαν τα νησιά μας την περίοδο 2015-2019 ανήκουν οριστικά στο παρελθόν. pic.twitter.com/KWpOpFDLqG
“Images like those experienced by the islands in the period 2015-19 belong definitively to the past,” he said.
The new camp comes as Greece inaugurated the first such camp on the island of Samos in September. The country plans to open two more in the coming months on the islands of Lesvos and Chios.
The Omicron Covid variant, first discovered in South Africa, has been detected around the world over the weekend raising fears of new lockdowns.
Omicron has been recorded in Belgium, Botswana, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, the United Kingdom and Australia.
The variant was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by South Africa on Wednesday and early evidence suggests it has a higher re-infection risk. It has been categorised by the WHO as a “variant of concern.”
Australia:
NSW Health confirmed two returned travellers tested positive for the new Omicron COVID-19 variant in Sydney, making them the first known cases of the strain in Australia.
The two positive cases are in isolation in the state’s Special Health Accommodation.
NSW Health confirmed two returned travellers tested positive for the new Omicron COVID-19 variant.
Both people, who are fully vaccinated and were asymptomatic, arrived in Sydney from southern Africa on Saturday, November 27.
The cases saw NSW Health change its advice for international travellers returning to Sydney as a precaution to stem the spread of the new Omicron B.1.1.529 variant.
Anyone arriving in the state from the nine impacted southern African countries — South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Malawi, and the Seychelles — is now required to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days.
That is irrespective of their vaccine status and brings NSW in line with measures also announced by the Federal Government.
Travellers from other countries are now also required to immediately go to their place of residence or accommodation and isolate for 72 hours pending further health advice.
Greece:
Omicron is spreading across the world.
In Greece, five Greek citizens, who arrived from South African countries via a stopover in the United Arab Emirates, have been placed on a ten-day precautionary quarantine.
According to state news agency AMNA, they tested negative for COVID-19 upon arrival. However, they are staying in a quarantine hotel.
The passengers will undergo a molecular diagnostic test (PCR) after ten days and if the result is negative their quarantine will end.
In response to this new Covid strain, Greece has imposed new travel restrictions. Foreign travellers coming into Greece from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Eswatini and Zambia will have to get special permission from the Greek consulate to enter the country, and they must be fully vaccinated.
Greek Australian boxer, George Kambosos Jr, has stunned Teófimo López in a monumental split decision win to become the unified world lightweight champion.
The three judges had it 115-111 and 115-112 in favour of Kambosos Jr, while the other had it 114-113 for López.
Kambosos has etched himself into Australian sporting history after earning the WBA, IBF and WBO belts – as well as The Ring Magazine lineal championship belt and the WBC franchise strap – in a brutal battle during which both men were knocked to the canvas.
A split decision victory earns Australian George Kambosos the unified lightweight champion belt. Photo: Getty / Al Bello.
Lopez boldly predicted he would finish off the 6-1 underdog within the first round, yet it was the brash American who was floored in the opening round.
Lopez regained his feet but was outboxed for most of the contest, which took a dramatic twist in the 10th round.
The man dubbed ‘The Takeover’ landed a right hand that knocked down Kambosos jr, a huge blow that threatened to change the momentum of the fight. However, the 28-year-old underdog recovered and finished the stronger.
George Kambosos Jnr proved too strong. Photo: Getty.
“I’m the greatest fighter in Australian history. I’ve got all the belts,” Kambosos said after the fight, as a bloodied and bruised López stalked around the ring in a fury.
“I believed in myself, I backed myself and I said it time after time… I am not a king, I am the Emperor.”
Lopez took his first professional defeat badly, claiming everyone knew that he’d won, to boos of derision from the sell-out crowd at the Hulu Theatre in Madison Square Garden.
There was a double celebration at St Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church in Mascot on Thursday, November 25, as the parish was officially consecrated (‘baptised’) on the annual feast day of its patron saint.
The consecration service, which saw the holy relics of St Catherine placed in the church’s altar, was presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia with the assistance of their Graces Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis, Emilianos of Meloa, Elpidios of Kyaneon, Silouan of Sinope, Kyriakos of Sozopolis, Christodoulos of Magnesia and Evmenios of Kerasounta.
Roughly 500 people were in attendance to witness the momentous occasion including a number of officials such as the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr Christos Karras, and the Trade Commissioner of Greece in Australia, Ms Katia Gkikiza, among many others.
All photos by Eirini Aligiannis.
Parish priest, Father Athanasios Giatsios, tells The Greek Herald the consecration was ‘a historic moment’ for parishioners who contributed greatly to building the church back in 1993.
“We’ve always dreamed of consecrating the parish,” Father Athanasios says.
“This church was built by migrants. They worked really hard to build this church and donated a lot of money to things such as the iconography… All this is a testament to their efforts.”
This sentiment was echoed by Archbishop Makarios on the day with a small speech following the consecration.
All photos by Eirini Aligiannis.
“There are many people who remain hidden and there are donations, which in the eyes of people may seem insignificant but, fortunately, God has other ways of seeing and of measuring,” the Archbishop stressed.
His Eminence finished his speech by thanking Father Athanasios for his contribution to the church over 16 years. Father Athanasios is becoming the new parish priest of ‘The Resurrection of our Lord, our Lady of Myrtles, St Elessa’ in Kogarah, while Father Stavros Ivanos will be taking over his duties at Mascot.
After the official service and speeches, parishioners moved to the Grand Roxy in Brighton to enjoy a special celebratory luncheon.
Ariane Leondaridis and Katia Kelso have launched their new fashion label Ilio Nema.
The two friends forged ahead with their plan after returning to Sydney from working in Ulla Johnson’s team in New York.
““The whole label was set up on the idea that we would be travelling and going to work with (local) artisans,” Leondaridis tells The Australian.
“So the business really started up with us thinking, ‘We’re going to go to Africa and then we’re going to go to Bali and then we’re going to go to Japan, and everywhere we meet people that we’re excited about their work, we’ll do a collaboration and that’s what the business will be.”
When the Covid-19 pandemic halted international travel just as they began planning their label, “we had to do it all from our living room”.
Their first collaborations are with suppliers in India and Morocco, where the cottons are grown, spun and handloomed, and the resort-style clothing is manufactured.
An additional line out of India re-purposes remnant cotton voiles.
In the near future they hope to expand their global footprint to work with artisan groups in Peru for ikat handlooms and alpaca knits; in Madagascar for crochet work; Brazil for shoes and leather goods; and at home to work with Indigenous Australian artisans for woven products.
“We’re working with all these other countries and artisans,” says Kelso. “We’d love to do something at home.”
The pair have their carbon footprint and sustainability top of mind, aiming to create recyclable pieces.
“Trends overall made me really tired and they’re responsible for most of the waste going on on this planet.”
The brand aims to appeal to a broad range of similarly minded women.
“A lot of ours styles are not really fussy on fit,” Kelso says. “The beauty is the handwoven fabrics…”
The brand is operating on a direct-to-consumer model via its website, with a Sydney pop-up planned for December; it also aims to work to its own pace.
“We’re moving away from the traditional fashion calendar,” says Kelso.
“We’ve got to work with the artisans. We’re not trying to push harsh deadlines on them like has happened (with other brands) in the past. We’re delivering when things are ready.”
To that end, the brand won’t adhere to seasonal collections, instead “just doing a few styles when we get inspired by something – it’s a bit more organic rather than designing your four big collections a year and meeting wholesale demands”. New pieces are expected to be released each month.
Leondaridis and Kelso have Greek heritage, which in a sense is woven through the garments.
Derived from the Greek words for sun and thread, Ilio Nema pieces each have a gold thread woven in, or detailing such as runs of tiny golden beads, alluding also to the myth of Ariadne, who gave Theseus a golden thread to find his way out of the maze after killing the Minotaur.
Leondaridis says this “sun thread” is also about “finding your inner centre and your true wisdom” – something she and Kelso can relate to as they find their way on their own adventure.
The University of Wollongong (UOW) has partnered with the Australian-American Fulbright program.
UOW will allow two scholars annually from the US to study in Wollongong under a five-year agreement.
Fulbright executive director, Professor James Arvanitakis, says the partnership will benefit scholars.
“We’re proud to welcome Wollongong into the [program], and excited for the myriad opportunities this will open up for scholars from both countries,” he said.
“We have enjoyed a strong Fulbright presence in Wollongong, with a number of prominent alumni on campus including Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Strategy) Alex Frino…”
“This new agreement will now see a leading American Fulbright Scholar on campus for the next five years working with Wollongong academics to further enhance their world-class research.”
The scholars will spend up to four months in Australia, at UOW, conducting their research in areas of importance to the university.
The Greek Australian community may best remember Charmian Clift as an advocate for Greek democracy in the 1960s, but that was one aspect of the charismatic columnist.
Clift and her husband George Johnston are notorious for their escapades in the Greek island of Hydra, then home to a colony of expatriate creatives.
Filmmakers Rachel Lane, of Faithfully Me (2020), and Sue Milliken, of Ladies in Black (2018), are making Clift’s essays, published in the mid-to-late 60s, the focus of a new documentary.
They are pitching ‘Life Burns High’ as a feature film that showcases Clift as one of the greatest Australian writers of the 20th century and a trailblazer of the travel writing genre.
“I read [The Life and Myth of Charmian Clift by Nadia Wheatley] and thought, ‘This is such an amazing story,” Lane tells the Greek Herald.
“It has all the hallmarks you need for a movie.”
“The timing is right to do a documentary,” Milliken adds.
It didn’t take much to convince veteran film producer Milliken, who knew Clift and Johnston personally as colleagues, to join the project.
“I was mesmerised by their charisma and artistic power. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life, knowing them,” Milliken tells the Greek Herald.
“So when Rachel got in touch and said, ‘Would you like to work with me on the documentary?,’ I didn’t even hesitate.”
Ladies in Black writer and director Bruce Beresford with writer and producer Sue Milliken (Photo via Ausfilm)
Clift and Johnston lived in Hydra for over a decade and were responsible for the island’s transformation as an artist’s colony in the 1950s.
“Hydra provided their creative [inaudible] where they could write during the day and then do what they needed to do at night for their family. At the time, it was a very cheap way of living. So that was the attraction of Hydra,” Lane says.
“It attracted the creative bohemian lifestyle.”
“Charmian kicked off a whole genre of writing which she drew from her experience on Hydra.”
“She was so passionate about the Greek people and the cause. She never stopped loving Greece and her experience there,” Milliken adds.
Clift was involved with the Committee for the Restoration of Democracy in Greece.
“…Charmian was very supportive and very vocal for the democracy in Greece. When she came back to Australia, she was a big part of [the committee],” Lane says.
Clift returned to Australia in 1964 during her later years.
“When you come back to suburban, early ‘60s Australia, that would have seem a bit mundane, really,” Lane says.
“As Charmian landed back, she was able to see [Australia’s ultra conservatives] with the clarity that people who live here were writing these couldn’t see. That vision was what made her essays and the writing that she did about Australia so remarkable,” Milliken adds.
“It’s such an important Australian story. It says so much about Australia, expatriates, Greece, artistic endeavour and it’s a totally worthwhile story.”
Lane and Milliken have raised over $56 thousand through the Documentary Australia Foundation. Visit this link to make a donation.
Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women, Marise Payne, will visit Greece on December 8 this year, according to The Greek Herald‘s sources.
News of the visit was initially announced by Greece’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Andreas Katsaniotis, when speaking with one of Australia’s Greek radio programs.
Greece’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Andreas Katsaniotis.
The visit aims to promote a new concept of Greek foreign policy, which has seen Greece attempting to build alliances with countries such as the United States, France, the Arab countries and now Australia, as a shield against Turkish provocations.
Earlier this year, Minister Payne held her first telephone conversation with Greece’s Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias.
The talks held in October between the two top officials focused on their shared commitment to the International Law of the Sea, to the protection of the environment and to regional developments.
The two ministers also reaffirmed the two countries’ historic ties on the basis of common values and the Greek Australian diaspora as a bridge between Greece and Australia.
According to The Greek Herald‘s sources, during Minister Payne’s physical visit to Athens she will focus on a number of other issues concerning Greece and Australia, including a double taxation agreement between both countries which is expected to be finalised by 2022.
Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton personally endorsed a decision to furlough staff at St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Melbourne.
Sutton told an inquest into the home, where 45 residents died after contacting COVID-19 last year, that the decision was conditional on an emergency workforce being found.
Staff at the home, who were declared close contacts, were replaced by inexperienced agency staff.
The inquest has heard that almost half of the necessary workers could not be found the day before the handover on July 22. It also heard residents had missed meals and medications within hours of the transfer.
“I think everyone understands that if there was no sign of replacement staff on [the] 22nd (2020), the handover would not take place,” officer Sutton said.
Sutton conceded his direction that staff had to furlough by close of business that day could have been clearer.
Prof Sutton said he had not been told of any specific problems in finding an emergency workforce, although he had not made any inquiries himself.
He agreed he was aware his direction would mean replacing the entire St Basil’s workforce, which would result in losing the clinical governance framework for the home, a challenging situation without enough workers with adequate experience
Under examination by counsel assisting Peter Rozen QC, Sutton said he was asked to personally endorse in writing the move to furlough staff, after the chairman of St Basil’s initially refused to follow health directions.
“This ongoing outbreak represents a significant and serious threat to public health,” Sutton wrote to the home’s chairman.
Also on Friday, the inquest was told state health authorities knew St Basil’s would be at least 30 staff short the day before it furloughed the home’s workforce.
The shortage represented almost half of the 66 workers needed to cover shifts at St Basil’s on July 22 last year, the day its workforce was sent home.
Victoria’s health department has provided another 2000 pages of evidence to the inquest as it concludes its second week of witness testimony, with one lawyer telling Victorian State Coroner John Cain that there had been no time to review the documents.
SA Health has listed a total of 15 exposure sites related to three positive COVID-19 cases, including Kalymnos Pastries at Torrensville.
The store has been listed as a low-risk casual contact site after a close contact of a Covid case visited the store between 11.15 am and 11.55 am on Tuesday.
Owner George Diakomichalis said he was notified of the exposure by health officials, who told him the shop was allowed to continue trading.
However, he said he and his wife made the decision to voluntarily close on Friday, for one day, so that the site could be cleaned.
“It’s overkill but we have a duty to protect our customers, so we’re basically cleaning the place from top to bottom – sanitising everything with bleaches and detergent” he tells The Advertiser.
“We’re one of the first places that’s been hit (in SA), but we knew it was coming and this is what we need to do to get through it and back to normality.”
George and Eleni Diakomichalis of Kalymnos Pastries, Torrensville (Photo: AAP/ Keryn Stevens)
The shop, which will reopen on Saturday, has received an outpour of support since Mr Diakomichalis took to social media on Thursday night to announce the temporary closure.
Despite the exposure, he said he agrees with the decision to open the state’s borders.
“The reality is we have to go back to normality sooner rather than later,” he said.
“There are a lot of families who have been separated for a long time, and I understand we need to be able to live with this and do the right things.”
Low-risk casual contacts must monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if any develop.
